Reading: Helping Others Reinvent to Reinvent Herself

Kathryn Minshew wanted to work for the CIA. But she ended up in Rwanda working on the HPV vaccine, and consulting for McKinsey & Company. Then she got involved with tech and discovered there was no place with actionable tips for managing your career. That’s when The Muse, a site that now attracts 75 million users annually, was born. In this discussion, Kathryn Minshew explains how helping others reinvent helped her reinvent herself. “Everyone has to reinvent themselves today,” Kathryn says, noting that some of the highest engagement on the site comes from “intergenerational job searches.” She also points out that if women 40+ are often dismissed as serious entrepreneurs, women in their 30s have the same fight. “When I started the company, I’d be in a room with three women and 100 men. I was treated as a flirting target, not a founder.”

Kathryn’s Top Resources for Reinvention

1. Two of the books that I’ve loved: Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. She has written so many books about really owning and stepping into your true self, and this is my favorite. I also love Start with Why by Simon Sinek. It’s a book about how to convince people, but I do think for people who are thinking about reinventing, really understanding and articulating why they’re doing it can be incredibly powerful for the people around them.
2. Every industry has its own lingo, its own minor celebrities, its own lexicon, and I think one of the most helpful things someone can do when they’re looking to reinvent or move in a different direction is to subscribe to a couple of different newsletters and podcasts. Just consume the media of your particular industry so you start to pick up on those words, those stories, the things that everybody loves or hates. It doesn’t mean you have to go along with them, but knowing what the norms are will allow you to acquiesce or violate them in more thoughtful and strategic ways. That’s really helpful in allowing other people to see you as an insider of the industry rather than just some outsider.

RELATED

Top 10 Questions a Stylist Gets From Women 40+ (TheCovey, May 2019 Issue)

The Art of Aging Happily

An Open Letter to My Body

If you enjoy this content, JOIN NEST WITH COVEY and receive 12 FREE ISSUES of The Covey magazine delivered straight to your inbox each month! Our magazine features in-depth reporting, first-person stories, and special offers. All just for you.